Dispenser appliance for powdered or granular material as soap and the like



Jan. 10, 1956 L. D. DUNN 2,730,271

DISPENSER APPLIANCE FOR POWDERED OR GRANULAR MATERIAL. As SOAP AND THE LIKE Filed April 24, 1951 (Ittotneg United States Patent DISPENSER APPLIANCE FOR POWDERED OR LGIIIEEANULAR MATERIAL AS SOAP AND THE Lyman D. Dunn, Chicago, Ili. Application April 24, 1951, Serial No. 222,680 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-322) This invention relates to a hand or manually operated appliance for dispensing measured quantities of powdered or granular material for individual service use, as soap for service at a lavatory, of simple construction, durable and non-clogging at or within a discharge nozzle for eflicient and dependable service.

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance for dispensing powdered or granular material, as an example soap, from a container having a funnel shaped bottom terminating with a cylindrically shaped spout of uniform diameter for its full length, serving as a valve chamber and discharge outlet for the contents of the container intermittently dispensed by a valve of piston type having intermediate of its length an annular recess therein, with opposingly tapered base surfaces, the recess in the stroke movements of the valve alternately exposed beyond the opposite ends of the spout, to collect a determined amount of the container contents and thence forcibly convey the same through the spout for discharge therefrom; the valve at its opposite ends from the recess therein is alternately in bearing engagement with the interior surface of the spout, in its control strokes, to scavenge and prevent any deposit or collection of the material dispensed upon the engaging surfaces of said elements and at either of the limits of valve movement re spectively, provide a closure for the spout.

Another object is to provide the discharge end of the container with a conical shaped nozzle or chute beneath the dispensing valve to guard the same, and against which the palm of a hand cam be brought for the reception of the soap powder dispensed.

Another object is to provide within the container of the dispenser and upon the valve actuating rod guidingly and slidably sustained therein a wire helical wound spring element, fixed to the rod to be actuated in synchronism with the valve for agitating the contents of the container.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth and apparent from the following description of the construction thereof shown in the drawings accompanied herewith and forming a part hereof, depicting a preferred embodiment, in which:

Figure l is a front side elevation of the dispenser, in reduced dimension.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the dispenser with the cover for the upper end of the container in open position. Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the dispenser.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4, 4, Figure 3.

This application is a continuation-in-part of an application filed by me February 16, 1948, Serial No. 8,535 and pending at the time of the filing of this application, and thereupon formally abandoned.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a container, preferably of cylindrical form having an apertured disk or plate 2, annularly flanged, recessed within the head end of the container and permanently secured thereto. The perforations or apertures are of a suitable dimension and number to permit ready admission of the material into the container to load the same and to avoid hand or finger insertion into the container for adverse removal of the contents. A cover 3 hingedly connected to the container provides a closure for the upper end thereof.

A funnel shaped bottom 4 is secured within the container at the base end thereof, centrally terminating with a cylindrical spout 5 as an integral part thereof extending from the lower side of the bottom. The spout is of uniform diameter for its full length to provide a valve chamher and discharge outlet for dispensing the contents of the container. The contents of the container is intermittently dispensed or delivered therefrom in measured or definite amounts by a valve 6, reciprocable within the spout and concentrically fixed upon rod 7 extending axially within the container. The upper end of the rod 7 traverses and is guidingly sustained by the disk 2 as a semi-closure for the head end of the container. The upper end of the valve rod protrudes from the disk 2 and is encircled and engaged by a conical form of spring 8, seated upon the outer face side of the disk, to administer a return stroke of the rod and normally maintain the valve 6 in an elevated position within the spout 5.

The valve 6, is of piston type having an annular recess therein with opposingly tapered base surfaces to avoid abrupt shoulders. The recess provides a space in the valve for the reception of a determined amount of the material, as the contents of the container, which when exposed thereto is moved therein by gravity. The recess also provides for spaced annular heads for the opposite ends of the valve, for alternate bearing engagement with the interior surface of the spout 5 as a sealing closure therefrom, coordinate to the degree of valve stroke and length of spout so that when the upper head of the valve is disposed into the container to expose the recess to the contents of the container for the reception of a specific amount thereof, the lower head seals the spout and conversely when the valve is depressed to extend the recess beyond the discharge end of the spout for the release and discharge of the material collected and conveyed, the upper valve head is in position to seal the spout.

The upper or outer side of the upper head of the valve is also tapering configuration to depress the material engaged within the container in an upper stroke of the valve laterally, for descent into the recess and thereby avoid compacting the material by the force of the valve stroke. The peripheral edge of the lower head of the valve is tapered upwardly and inwardly, which serves to align and register the valve Within the spout in a return stroke from its dispensing position in its entry for a spout closure and also to reduce the amount of frictional engagement with the wall surface of the spout, for smooth and uninterrupted movement of the valve.

The valve rod 7 for its end portion extending from the lower side of the valve is bent in return form, outwardly, terminating with a lateral extension 9, as a handle, extending through an elongated slot 10 in the container, beneath its funnel-shaped bottom to extend transversely from an exterior side of the container for a finger hold thereon for operation and depression of the valve, free from and above the discharge end of the container. The wall of the container in the formation of the slot 10 is flanged inwardly for each of its opposite sides of the slot to substantially guide the handle in its stroke movements.

The valve rod 7, within the container carries a wire helical wound spring element 11, spaced slightly from and above the valve for agitating the contents of the container in synchronism with each stroke or shifting movements of the valve.

The lower end of the container is capped with a chute 12 of funnel or frustum of a cone shape, hingedly connected to the container and has a discharge opening of a diameter in excess of that of the spout. The chute shields the spout and permits the user to bear the palm of his hand thereagainst to receive the dispensed material without being scattered therefrom and also prevents the user from applying his hand in contact with the discharge end of the spout, which when the hand is wet would impart moisture thereto resulting in a powdered soap material to adhere about the discharge end of the spout as an objectionable factor.

As the stroke length of movement of the valve is limited, in a retracting direction by the rod handle extension engaging against the upper end of the slot in container, or by a pin extending laterally through an aperture in the rod for engagement against the lower side of the disk 2, and alternately by the pin at the upper end of the rod against which the spring 8 bears, thus the valve at either end of its alternate stroke movements seals the discharge spout.

The structure of the unit is such that for some types of lavatories, as example for shop service, where the bowls in a plural number as in adjoining or connected longitudinal pair of rows or duplex pairs and other arrangements whereby a single dispenser serves a plurality of bowls, it may be more convenient to have the lower end of the valve red, as a shank to extend from the spout perpendicularly through and beyond the chute -12 to be engaged and moved manually upward for a dispensing operation. For such control the position of the conical spring 8 is reversed from that shown in the drawings, as installed beneath and in engagement with the lower side of the disk 2.

The unit as shown is supported by a bracket 13, fixed to the exterior of the container and terminates with a pair of oppositely extended flanges 14, for attachment to a wall or support, although it is obvious that various other methods may be employed.

From the'foregoing description and drawing disclosure to operate the dispenser it is only necessary for an operator to depress the valve or plunger, by downward pressure applied upon the handle extension 9 to its full extent of movement, which will immediately release the quantity of material previously carried within the annular recess in the valve, and discharged, whereupon upon release of the handle 9, the valve automatically is moved in a reverse direction for its full degree of stroke by the spring 8 whereby the lower head of the valve seals the spout and the annular recess in the valve is fully exposed to the contents of the container for replenishing and which is directed therein by the angular surface of the funnel shaped bottom of the container. The-operation can be repeated it a greater quantity is required, and also it is not necesesary to move the valve its full degree of stroke for a powdered soap will readily flow-from the valve recess it only partially brought below the discharge end of the spout, and controlled when only a minor amount of the recess charge is desired.

The chute 12, being hingedly connected to the container can be moved to a suspended position from the container for access to the interior side thereof to facilitate in removal of any soap deposited thereon caused by drying of soap dust and water of condensation or splash.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

Apparatus for dispensing measured quantities of pulverulent material comprising a generally cylindrical container having a funnel shaped bottom terminating at its lower apex in a cylindrical spout extending downwardly therefrom, a plate extending across the top of the container, a valve actuating rod having one end positioned cxteriorly of the container, said rod having a reverse bend therein to provide an intermediate portion extending upwardly through said spout and through a guide opening in the plate, a valve carried by the intermediate portion of said rod, said valve having a pair ofvertically spaced valving portions of equal diameter defining therebetween a metering cavity, said valving portions each be ing circular in horizontal section and closely fitting the interior surface of the spout with the spacing between said valving portions being approximately equal to the length of the spout,stop means cooperating with the rod to restrict movement thereof from a rest position in which the lower valving portion is positioned at the upper end of the spout and in which saidcavity is wholly within the containerand above the spout to a discharging position in which the upper valving portion is positioned at the lower end of the spout and'in which said cavity is wholly below the lower end of the spout, and a spring connected to the actuating rod and constantly biasing the same toward movement to said rest position, said one end of the rod providing a handle permitting manual movement of the rodto said discharging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,165 Pickett May 6, 1890 963,214 Dunwoodie et al July 5, 1910 970,479 Dunwoody Sept. 20, 1910 1,266,195 Beckmann May 14, 1918 1,305,476 McCord June 3, 1919 1,313,174 Eisenhardt Aug. 12, 1919 1,637,189 Helberger ,July 26, 1927 1,993,401 Dudley Mar. 5, 1935 2,311,330 Dudley Feb. 16, 1943 2,450,155 Packwood, Jr. Sept. 28,1948 2,607,514 Keene, Jr. Aug. 19, 1952 

